Comparison

Sous Chef vs The Sous Chef Lite

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sous Chef

This kitchen helper offers a suite of tools for meal preparation, including multiple configurable timers that function even when the app is closed. It also features a servings calculator and a handy conversion chart to simplify cooking tasks.

Highlights
  • 5 configurable timers
  • Timers work in background
  • Servings calculator
  • Popular conversions chart
  • Stores notes and favorite websites
Features
Read full description

Kitchen Sous Chef is a set of everyday tools to assist you around the kitchen. This little kitchen helper is ready and waiting to help you serve up that delicious meal! *Note* Timers use the device notification system. Make sure notifications are turned on and that your device volume/ringer is not muted!! App Highlights • 5 Configurable timers. • Timers work even if app is not running. • Servings calculator • Chart of popular conversions. • Stores notes and favorite websites. • Available for both iPhone and iPad.

About

The Sous Chef Lite

Discover exciting recipe ideas and perfect food and wine pairings. This culinary assistant helps you find ingredient combinations, suggests wines for your dishes, and adapts to your dietary preferences.

Highlights
  • Ingredient pairing suggestions
  • Wine pairing for dishes
  • Dietary preference adaptation
  • Recipe idea discovery
  • Ingredient information
Features
Read full description

Embark on a culinary adventure with The Sous Chef, your very own digital sommelier and culinary assistant all in one! Get ready to explore exciting cooking possibilities, find unique recipe ideas, and discover the fascinating world of food and wine pairings. The Sous Chef is much more than a recipe app. Drawing on the wisdom of renowned chefs and sommeliers, this app serves as an extensive guide to ingredient pairing and wine suggestions that will elevate your cooking, dining, and wining experience. If you're passionate about cooking, love experimenting with recipes, or keen on trying new ingredients, The Sous Chef is your perfect match! Start by keying in your chosen ingredient. The app instantly dives into its vast database and presents you with a multitude of remarkable combinations that would work together. Moreover, each ingredient brings along valuable information, such as its taste profile, the season it's best used in, and type. Whether you're preparing a lavish dinner or a simple weeknight meal, The Sous Chef assists you in devising the perfect wine matching for every dish. From a delicate white to complement your freshly caught halibut, to a robust red to pair with a hearty steak, our built-in sommelier feature has got you covered. But that's not all. We believe that every individual's food needs and preferences are as unique as they are. Hence, our app is smartly designed with adaptable dietary settings. Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or an omnivore, The Sous Chef will generate matching food and wine suggestions conforming to your dietary preferences. The Sous Chef is not just another addition to your apps; it's an addition to your lifestyle! Start your journey towards becoming a true home chef and master the art of pairing food and wine like a professional Sommelier. Packed with features that inspire culinary creativity, The Sous Chef app is a must-have for all food lovers, wine enthusiasts, and fans of the culinary arts. Cheering to gourmet creations and perfect wine pairings! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Sous Chef4 screens
The Sous Chef Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The Sous Chef Lite at 5.0 against Sous Chef's 4.5. The Sous Chef Lite also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). Sous Chef's advantage is ratings volume (338 vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sous Chef sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and The Sous Chef Lite sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Sous Chef Lite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sous Chef has 338 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sous Chef ships an update every 3 months, The Sous Chef Lite every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sous Chef versus The Sous Chef Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSous ChefThe Sous Chef Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (338 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings338 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.4
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB49 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChuChu Train ProductionsPoodlePop LLC

Customer experience

Sous Chef

All ratings338 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative6.2%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.7%

The Sous Chef Lite

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sous Chef

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes frequently during use
  • Timer doesn't alert when phone is in lock mode
  • Accidental timer reset when phone placed in pocket
  • Pop-up ads appear during timer setup
  • Free version upgrade doesn't convert to Pro (requires repurchase)

Requested features

13 requests
  • Custom alarm sounds for each timer
  • Different ringtones/tones for different timers
  • Count-up feature after timer reaches zero
  • Larger readout/display text
  • Cooking temperature reference charts
Show 8 more
  • More than 5 timers available
  • Gram conversion option
  • Landscape mode support
  • Volume control for alerts
  • Number of alert repetitions option
  • Menu planning features
  • Additional sous chef functionality
  • Ability to select iPhone system ringtones

The Sous Chef Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Sous Chef

One-time4
  • KS - Remove Ad Banner$9.99
  • Unlimited Reference Entries$9.99
  • Enable All Timers$9.99
Show 1 more
  • All Features$24.99
2 purchases

The Sous Chef Lite

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Membership$3.001 Month
  • Annual Membership$30.001 Year

Questions

Is Sous Chef free?
Sous Chef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Sous Chef Lite free?
The Sous Chef Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sous Chef or The Sous Chef Lite?
The Sous Chef Lite is rated higher. Sous Chef averages 4.5 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while The Sous Chef Lite averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Sous Chef or The Sous Chef Lite have ads?
Both Sous Chef and The Sous Chef Lite show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sous Chef or The Sous Chef Lite?
Sous Chef ships an update every 3 months, and The Sous Chef Lite every 5 weeks. Most recently, Sous Chef was updated on October 22, 2026 and The Sous Chef Lite on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons